Journal of Probiotics & Health
Open Access
ISSN: 2329-8901
ISSN: 2329-8901
Rob Davis
Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, USA
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Prob Health
Introduction: The Global Pet Market is fast-growing, in excess of 100 Billion USD, and highly-competitive. Pet ownership is on the increase, as is the number of multi-pet households. Pet ownership is also rising in child-less households, including singles, newlyweds, and seniors. This dynamic is creating more pressure in the humanization of pets, as they frequently act as a substitute for human companionship. Problem Statement: As the humanization of pets continues, pet owners take the approach of ??What is good for me is good for my pet?, regardless of true impact. This can result in nutritional challenges, as pet requirements differ from human requirements. The growing trend in Human probiotic consumption has led to the desire by pet owners to share the same consumption benefits with their pets. In the highly-competitive Pet Sector, this has resulted in pressure to provide pet food containing probiotics. Adding probiotics to long-established pet food manufacturing processes has created operational challenges. Methodology: When it became legal via patent expiration in the US to apply probiotics in pet food, extensive product development and testing was necessary. The challenges ranged from ingredient costs to ingredient handling to application points to probiotic survivability. Findings: While operational success has been attained in probiotic applications, the desire for this type of product continues to present challenges that may or may not offset the true dietary benefits. Conclusions: Additional testing is recommended to determine the true cost-benefit relationship in pet food, which will ultimately determine future marketing and pricing strategies.
Rob Davis is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, and a Certified Lean Master, with more than 30 years of manufacturing operations experience, the majority of which is in food manufacturing. Rob has done extensive work in process improvements in canning and pet food operations. He has developed unique Operations Excellence models which are used in many U.S. manufacturing locations. He has also led to the rescue of more than 50 homeless animals.
E-mail: rob.davis@ainsworthpets.com